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Four Points by Sheraton Survey Reveals Mobile Device Habits Of Business Travelers Worldwide

STAMFORD, CONN. – August 20, 2012 – When today’s road warriors hit the
trail, they are armed with three or four mobile devices to help them stay
connected to office and home. They are more inclined to carry a tablet than a
laptop. And, when these business travelers communicate with the home front from
their hotel room, they are most likely do so with a video chat.

These are among the results of a hotel business and technology study
commissioned by Four Points by
Sheraton, a Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) brand.
The survey polled a total of 6,000 business travelers globally, – 1,000
each from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, Germany and
Brazil. Four Points, with the second largest brand pipeline in the
Starwood portfolio, is growing rapidly across nearly 30 countries and carefully
monitors the needs and habits of business travelers as part of its commitment
to remain “best for business.” Four Points is perfectly positioned to
help keep business travelers connected, offering fast, complimentary WiFi in
public spaces at all of its hotels around the world. Complimentary
in-room Internet access is also provided across the entire North American
division.

Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s senior vice president, specialty select brands,
commented, “The Four Points study contains compelling results, including
evidence that trends such as staying in touch with family via video chat –
preferred even over email, text and phone – are accelerating.” McGuinness
continued, “The study affirms that the Four Points brand is meeting a continued
need by offering complimentary WiFi or in-room Internet access, and by
continuing to expand bandwidth throughout the portfolio. We know what our
business travelers want and we don’t nickel and dime them – we just deliver
it.” Among the key findings:

How business travelers
connect

They travel with 3-4 mobile devices. The majority (55%) of
respondents bring three or four devices with them on the road. This is true
across all nationalities. Brazilian respondents were more likely than others to
juggle five or more devices while traveling (27%), while Germans were the least
device-dependent, with 33% reporting they travel with only one or two.

Smartphones are their #1 device. What three or four devices are
respondents likely to bring? Smartphones are tops (74%), followed by tablets
(65%), music players (43%) and laptops (32%). Chinese respondents were the only
group to bump laptops out of the top four, in favor of cameras (30%).

Business travelers are glued to those smartphones. After landing,
the majority (54%) turn on their smartphone while the plane is still taxiing on
the tarmac, while 12% -- ahem -- never turn it off in the first place.
The remaining respondents wait until they’re in the terminal or settle into
their taxi/car (17% each).

Checking their smartphone is also the first thing respondents do when they wake
up in their hotel (36%). Only 19% turn on the TV first and 18% take a
shower. Checking Facebook (12%) ranks fourth, while checking Twitter and
calling home share a distant fifth (7%).

Tablets beat laptops. Nearly seven in 10 respondents (68%) use their
tablet more often than their laptop, and accordingly a similar number (69%), if
told they could take only one of the two on the road, would choose to travel
with their tablet.

Why business travelers connect

To keep up with email. For most respondents, the primary purpose of
traveling with mobile devices is to keep up with email on the road (90%). This
is followed by internet browsing and social networking (75%), and maintaining
communication with the office (73%). Least popular: reading a book (43%).

In addition to all their hand-held technology, the majority of respondents
report that they have visited a hotel business center (66%). They mostly do so
to print business items (93%). They are also inclined to use the business
center to print personal items (87%), check social networking (87%) and check
email (86%).

To stay abreast of the news. Overall, respondents are likely to
subscribe to 4-7 RSS news feeds (46%), although respondents from India are more
likely to subscribe to only 1-3 (55%). Reuters is by far the most popular news
feed at 21%, followed by the BBC (15%) and The New York Times
(7%).

To make their lives easier. More than 60% of total respondents
believe that traveling with technology makes their lives significantly easier
and more convenient. However, the majority of German respondents report their
lives are only somewhat eased by technology (53%), and 14% of Germans believe
it makes life harder.

Business travelers’ communicating style

TheyJand LOL!
Most respondents report they use emoticons (72%) and shorthand (77%) in their
daily texts and emails. They do consider shorthand inappropriate when applying
for a job (84%), sending condolences (67%) or emailing their boss (66%), but
less so when emailing their mother-in-law (38%).

For friends and family, nothing beats face time. To communicate with
family, friends and loved ones back home, the majority of business travelers
prefer to video chat/conference (67%) versus sending an email or picking up the
phone (47% each). Instant messaging or texting is the least popular means
(37%). Almost eight in 10 get dressed, do their hair and make-up before a video
chat/conference. Chinese travelers are the most inclined to primp (85%) while
Americans are the least (71%).

NSFW? Intriguingly, the majority of respondents report that when
they’re traveling, their spouse/partner is more likely to surprise them with a
sexy video chat (56%) than have flowers delivered to their room (17%) or mail
them a card (12%). Brits and Americans have a slight edge on this
particular perk (61% each), while Brazilians are more likely to be left out in
the cold (44%).

About Four Points by Sheraton
Great Hotels. Great Rates: With
over 160 Four Points by Sheraton hotels in nearly
30 countries, travelers can find the timeless style and comfort they’re
looking for with genuine service and everything that matters most, all around
the world. From Santiago to Shanghai and Milan to Milwaukee, Four Points
hotels can be found in big urban centers, by the airport, near the beach, and
in the suburbs. A recent $1 billion invested in renovations, conversions,
and new-build hotels has made the brand stronger than ever.

Four Points by Sheraton, like all brands within Starwood’s portfolio, is proud
to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which offers a breakthrough
policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn more, visit www.spg.com. Stay connected to Four Points on
Facebook at facebook.com/fourpoints.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries
and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully
integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences
with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The
Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le
Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by
Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one
of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG),
allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and
flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation
Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through
villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more
information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
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guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties
and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially
from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made.
These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable
assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or
that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.)